![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Bay Area sports team compete against Los Angeles rivals in playoff series
The Golden State Warrior and San Jose Sharks cheer each other on via twitter as both teams attempt to defeat their Los Angeles opponents in the first round of their respective playoff runs.
California sports fans are in for a treat, as two Bay Area teams take on their Los Angeles rivals in the first rounds of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs.
The number six seed Golden State Warriors are tied 1-1 with the Los Angeles Clippers so far in its best of seven series. The Warriors secured a narrow 109-105 victory on Satuday, but were unable to maintain that momentum and lost 98-138 last night. Stephen Curry and David Lee currently lead the team in scoring with 38 and 31 points, respectively.
Now the series shifts to #WarriorsGround for Game 3 on Thursday. #DubNation, we know you’ll be ready.
— Golden St. Warriors (@warriors) April 22, 2014
Many fans enjoy the added excitement of the playoffs that often comes from the increased pressure and drive of the elimination-style tournament.
“Playoff basketball is exciting because it’s a lot more intense. The games are a lot closer and more exciting,” Arjun Ashok (11) said. “I think having something like that to play for, like which area of the state is better, is really cool.”
After playing the first two games in Los Angeles, both teams teams will return to the Oracle Arena for game three on Thursday game four on Sunday. The San Jose Sharks had an even stronger start to its playoff run, leading its series 2-0 against the Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks have scored 13 goals between their 6-3 and 7-2 victories at home in games one and two, respectively. Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Raffi Torres have each scored two goals so far in this high-scoring series.
Amazing: #SJSharks score 7 goals for the first time at home in the playoffs – tied a team record (7 at COL on 4/30/1999)
— Dan Rusanowsky (@DanRusanowsky) April 21, 2014
The team travels to Los Angeles for games three and four of the best of seven series tonight and on Thursday. Home ice has been an important factor in this matchup, as the home team has won 20 of the last 23 regular season and playoff games.
“The scores are irrelevant. They’re over. […] That’s all you get is a win. You don’t get goals for or goals against that count for anything,” head coach Todd McLellan said in a media interview after last night’s victory. “The building’s tough to play in in LA. They’ll have the energy with the crowd and that type of stuff. Our game has to get better to win there.”
If the Warriors win their series, they will play the winner of the matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western conference semifinals. If the Sharks win their series, they will play the winner of the Anaheim Ducks versus Dallas Stars series in round two.
Upcoming Warriors games will be broadcasted on CSN Bay Area and TNT. Upcoming Sharks games will be broadcasted on CBC, CSN Bay Area, and NBC Sports Network. Radio coverage of both games can be livestreamed online from each team’s respective website.
Sheridan Tobin is the co-Editor in Chief of The Winged Post. She is a senior and this is her fourth year on staff. She was the Global Editor and Opinion...